Purpose

The purpose of the Study Abroad Initiative (SAI) is to provide planning or incentive funds for faculty to develop new and innovative international study experiences for students. Experiences would include:  developing short-term or long-term study abroad courses, expanding existing study abroad courses, and establishing international undergraduate research opportunities.  Award funds can pay for travel or expenses associated with establishing international study experiences. The awards are competitive and open to COS tenured and tenure-track faculty. The total SAI allocation is $5,000. Three to five awards shall be made, and the amount of each award will depend upon the number of awards given and the quality of each proposal.  Fiscal year 2008 award funds must be expended by June 30, 2008.

Award Guidelines

Applicants should:

1. Prepare a feasibility plan for an international study experience, and discuss it with the EIU Study Abroad Director, Ms. Wendy Williamson;
2. Prepare a proposal giving the purpose of the international study experience, the proposed study area, the planned activity that the grant will support, and an itemized budget for the activity;
3. Receive the endorsement of the candidate’s department chairperson to show that the proposed course will support the program needs of the department (where more than one person applies in a department, the department chair must rank the applications in order of importance); and
4. Submit the ranked proposal to the Office of the Dean, College of Sciences, by January 6, 2008.

Memorandum of Understanding

Each award recipient must sign a memorandum of understanding, which stipulates that receiving the award obligates the recipient to develop and teach a study abroad course, or to establish an international undergraduate research experience, in the academic year following the award.

(Download the Application in PDF)